1. Field of the Invention
This invention broadly relates to artificial fishing lures. In some of its more specific aspects, the invention is concerned with artificial fishing lures which are non-fouling and which employ one or more buzz blades, spinner blades, devices which create sound waves within the water, or other means serving to attract nearby fish. The invention additionally relates to artificial fishing lures of the foregoing class which are further characterized by a unique structure which markedly enhances the activity and versatility of the buzz blades, spinner blades and/or noise creating devices attached thereto, and thereby greatly increases the overall effectiveness of the lure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been recognized in the prior art to provide a fishing lure with one or more buzz blades or spinner blades which rotate during movement of the lure through water. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,012,356, 3,143,824, 3,546,804, 3,750,325, 3,828,463, 4,045,903 and 4,453,334, among others, relate to fishing lures having an outwardly extending stationary arm with a blade-type spinner attached to the end of the arm. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,074,454 and 4,329,804, among others, provide lures having an outwardly extending stationary arm with a first blade-type spinner mounted along the central portion of the arm and a second blade-type spinner terminating from the end of the arm. U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,065 discloses two spinner blades attached to the end of a stationary arm. Another well-known type of lure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,093,923 and 3,500,573, among others, and includes a stationary arm extending from the lure with a rotatable buzz-bait spinner mounted thereon.
The aforementioned prior art lures involve the use of a stationary or fixed wire frame for carrying the buzz blades and/or spinner blades which results in a number of important limitations and/or disadvantages. For example, when a spinner blade is placed over the hook to make a prior art lure weedless, the stationary or fixed frame acts as a guard and cannot be harmlessly knocked aside by the impact of a striking fish in an attempt to get at the baited hook. Rather, the impact of the strike knocks the entire lure aside, including the hook, and the striking fish is missed.
The stationary or fixed prior art frames also restrict both sound and action in lures which combine a buzz blade with a spinner blade. This is especially pronounced in lures having the spinner blade mounted so as to be positioned behind the buzz blade when the lure is pulled through the water. The fixed frame does not permit the buzz blade and/or spinner blade to move and rotate freely and vigorously from side to side and/or up and down as the lure is pulled against the water. As a result, both the sound and action of the buzz blade and spinner blade are sharply restricted and the lure is much less attractive to fish.
The stationary or fixed prior art frames further restrict the versatility of lures which have both a buzz blade and a spinner blade mounted thereon. In instances where the spinner blade is mounted behind the buzz blade, the spinner blade is not free to vigorously jump up and down like a natural bait fish in the wake of the buzz blade as the lure is pulled rapidly against the water. The fixed prior art frames also do not permit the buzz blade and spinner blade mounted thereon to move from horizontal positions into vertical positions when the lure is no longer pulled against the water and is suddenly allowed to free fall, or when the lure is cast and allowed to free fall. In such instances, the buzz and spinner blades cannot imitate an injured bait fish during the free fall and are much less attractive to fish.
The aforementioned and other deficiencies and disadvantages of the prior art lures having stationary or fixed frames have been long recognized by those skilled in this art. However, an entirely satisfactory alternative thereto was not available prior to the present invention.